Receptacle for athletic shoe cleat or spike



May 19, 1964 F. c. PHILLIPS 3,133,363

RECEPTACLE FOR ATHLETIC SHOE CLEAT OR SPIKE Filed Dec. 10, 1962 56 I 15.4. wlw vvl INVENTOR.

FRED c. PHILLIPS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,133,363 RECEPTAELE FUR ATHLETIC SHUE CLEAT GE. Fred C. Phillips, Stonghton, Mash; Frederick W. Warmelle, In, Efimouth, Robert E. Snow, Stonghton, and Robert C. Howard, East Bridgewater, Mass, executors of the will of said Fred C. Fhiliips, deceased Filed Dee. Id, 1962, Ser. No. 243,393 4 Ciairns. (El. 3659) This invention relates to a metal receptacle to be embedded with other similar receptacles in a molded shoe sole of rubber or the like. It is an object of the in: vention to provide a receptacle which can be easily and inexpensively made, and is adapted to be embedded in a rubber shoe sole when the sole is being molded. The receptacle is hereinafter described in detail, and is illustrated on the drawing, of which FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view of a molded rubber sole in which are embedded a number of receptacles embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragment of FIGURE 1 shown on a larger scale;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an end elevation of the receptacle shown in FIGURES 2 and 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of the parts of said receptacle.

The receptacle shown on the drawing consists of the two members It 12 shown in FIGURE 5 before they are assembled. The members are preferably made of steel with a wash plating of brass so that when the receptacle is embedded in a rubber shoe sole in the molding process, the rubber stick to its surfaces.

The member 1% consists of a base plate '14, preferably circular, from which rises a coaxial stem 16. The stem 16 is hollow and interiorly threaded to receive the threaded stem of a cleat or spike (not shown) for which the receptacle is designed. To anchor the member in a rubber sole so that it will strongly resist turning, the rim of the plate 14 is indented at a number of points 18 with resulting protuberances 157. The stem 16 is made with two exterior diameters, the portion 20 of smaller diameter being separated from the portion 22 of larger diameter by a shoulder 24.

The member 12 consists of a circular disk 30' somewhat larger in diameter than the base plate 14. The disk 30 has a central hole 32 just large enough to receive the portion 20 of the stem 16 with a snug fit. Surrounding the central hole 32 is a circular series of indentations 34, 36 each of which is preferably rectangular in shape and of graduated depth so as to raise the equivalent of ratchet teeth 38 on the opposite side of the disk. The indentations 34 are in one side of the disk and alternate with the indentations 36 which are in the other side of the disk. The arrangement of the teeth 38 on one face of the disk is similar to the arrangement of the teeth 38 on the other face. In either case the teeth face in a clockwise direction around the center of the disk so that when a receptacle is embedded in a sole 40 as indicated in FIGURE 3, the base of a cleat (not shown) witha threaded stem, when screwed into the receptacle, will be indented by the teeth 38 in such a manner as to oppose reverse rotation of the cleat when counterclockwise torque is applied to the cleat. Such torque will initially be imposed on the receptacle, tending to rotate it in the rubber in which it is embedded. The teeth 30 on the under face of the disk which are in direct contact with the rubber will oppose such rotative tendency of the disk.

To assemble a receptacle, the reduced portion 20 of ice the stem :16 is pushed through the hole 32 of a disk 12 until the disk is seated against the shoulder 24. The portion 20 of the stem 16 is longer than the thickness of the disk 12 so that it projects out beyond the disk. This projecting portion is spun outward and curled as at 42 to bear against the surface of the disk 12 around the hole 32. When the members 10* and 12 are being assembled, the disk can be put on the stem 16 either side up as the number and arrangement of the teeth 38 on one side are the same as on the other. This facilitates the operation of assembling the parts.

The receptacles are designed to be put in a mold for a rubber sole with a biscuit of rubber to be vulcanized, the receptacles being arranged so that the base 14 and stem 16 will be embedded in the rubber and the disk 12 will be partly embedded, the rubber filling the space between the base 14 and disk 12. When the sole has been vulcanized and removed from the mold, it is ready to be stitched or otherwise secured to an athletic shoe of any construction as, for example, a Goodyear welt or Littleway lockstitch shoe, a thin steel plate (not shown) being preferably inserted between the outer sole and the insole to prevent individual cleats or spikes from pushing against the sole of the wearers foot.

I claim:

;1. A receptacle for a cleat or spike, adapted to be embedded in a rubber athletic shoe sole, comprising: a circular plate, a coaxial stem extending from a face of said plate, said stem being hollow and interiorly threaded and having a terminal portion of reduced diameter, a disk having a central hole through which said reduced diameter is tightly fitted, theend of said stem being deformed over on the adjacent surface of said disk, said hole being surrounded by a circular series of indentations alternately in opposite sides of the disk, each indentation forming a ratchet tooth on the other side, the teeth on each side facing in a clockwise direction about said hole whereby when said plate, stem and one side of said disk are embedded in a shoe sole, the opposite side of said disk is adapted to engage a cleat.

2. A receptacle as in claim 1 wherein the rim of said plate has indentations and protuberances.

3. A receptacle as described in claim 1, said hollow stem being closed at one end thereof, the portion of reduced diameter being at the other end.

4. In combination, a molded rubber athletic shoe sole and a receptacle for a cleat or spike, said receptacle comprising a circular plate embedded in said sole, a coaxial stem extending from a face of said plate, said stem being hollow and interiorly threaded and having a terminal portion of reduced diameter, a disk having a central hole through which said reduced diameter is tightly fitted, the end of said stem being deformed over on the adjacent surface of said disk, said hole being surrounded by a circular series of indentations alternately in opposite sides of the disk, each indentation forming a ratchet tooth on the other side, the teeth on each side facing in a clockwise direction about said hole, one side of said disk being embedded in said sole whereby the other side is adapted to engage a cleat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,161,883 Pierce et al June 13, 1939 2,523,652 Dowd et al. Sept. 26, 1950 3,040,449 Phillips June 26, 1962 3,066,425 Koley Dec. 4, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 673,399 Great Britain June 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 3, 133,363 May 19", 1964 Fred C. Phillips et a1 It is hereby certified that error a ent requiring correction and that the sa corrected below.

ppears in the above numbered patid Letters Patent should read as In the grant, lines 2 and 14,

printed specificati0n,. lines 4 and Jr and in the heading to the 5, for "Frederick We Warmelle, read Frederick W., Wormelle JP Signed and sealed this 4th day of August 1964,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Commissioner of Patents 

1. A RECEPTACLE FOR A CLEAT OR SPIKE, ADAPTED TO BE EMBEDDED IN A RUBBER ATHLETIC SHOE SOLE, COMPRISING: A CIRCULAR PLATE, A COAXIAL STEM EXTENDING FROM A FACE OF SAID PLATE, SAID STEM BEING HOLLOW AND INTERIORLY THREADED AND HAVING A TERMINAL PORTION OF REDUCED DIAMETER, A DISK HAVING A CENTRAL HOLE THROUGH WHICH SAID REDUCED DIAMETER IS TIGHTLY FITTED, THE END OF SAID STEM BEING DEFORMED OVER ON THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF SAID DISK, SAID HOLE BEING SURROUNDED BY A CIRCULAR SERIES OF INDENTATIONS ALTERNATELY IN OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE DISK, EACH INDENTATION FORMING A RATCHET TOOTH ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE TEETH ON EACH SIDE FACING IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION ABOUT SAID HOLE WHEREBY WHEN SAID PLATE, STEM AND ONE SIDE OF SAID DISK ARE EMBEDDED IN A SHOE SOLE, THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID DISK IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A CLEAT. 